St Mary's Church, Thatcham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church |
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A view across the graveyard
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| Location | Church Gate Thatcham Berkshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Founded | 1140 |
| Dedication | St Mary |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 6 April 1967 |
| Style | Norman |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Thatcham |
| Archdeaconry | Berkshire |
| Diocese | Oxford |
St Mary's Church is a special old church in Thatcham, Berkshire, England. It is a Church of England parish church, which means it serves the local community. The church is named after the Virgin Mary. It is also a Grade II* listed building, which means it's a very important historic building that needs to be protected.
Some people believe the church was first built way back in the 7th century by a saint named St Birinus. We know for sure that parts of the church building are from the 12th century, making it very old!
Church Bells and Tower
The church has a tall tower that holds 10 special bells. These bells are used for "change ringing," which is a unique way of ringing bells in a changing pattern.
The Bells of St Mary's
The oldest bells in the tower are the 5th through 9th bells. They were made in 1624 by Ellis I Knight in Reading. The newest bells, numbers 1 and 2, were made much later in 1969 by John Taylor & Co.
The largest bell is called the "tenor bell." It was made in 1825 and weighs about 671 kilograms (which is 13-0-23 in old measurements). This big bell rings out the note 'F'.
Bell Ringing Practice
The people who ring the bells practice every Tuesday evening. They start at 7:30 pm and finish at 9:15 pm. You can also hear the bells on Sunday mornings. They ring from 9:15 am until 10 am, just before the church service.
Here is a list of the bells:
- Treble: 3cwt, John Taylor 1969 in A
- 2nd: 3cwt, John Taylor 1969 in G
- 3rd: 4cwt, John Taylor 1929 in F
- 4th: 4cwt, John Taylor 1929 in E
- 5th: 5cwt, Ellis I Knight 1624 in D
- 6th: 6cwt, Ellis I Knight 1624 in C
- 7th: 6cwt, Ellis I Knight 1624 in Bb
- 8th: 7cwt, Ellis I Knight 1624 in A
- 9th: 10cwt, Ellis I Knight 1624 in G
- Tenor: 13cwt, Thomas II Mears 1825 in F
